While we all know that breastfeeding is best for baby, what is even better for baby is breastfeeding exclusively for at least the first six months. Health experts say that the optimal period to start baby on solid foods is around the time they are able to sit up without support and pick food...
With our busy lifestyles, homemade lunches are always a treat. But not many of us have the time nowadays to do more than slap together two slices of bread, with something in between if we are lucky. Still, here are four easy-to-handle recipes for a complete meal that kids will enjoy. Fried Rice 1...
Here’s a test to see if you are indeed parent material. It has been making the rounds on parenting blogs and is bound to keep you chuckling. Test 1: Preparation Women: To prepare for pregnancy 1. Put on a dressing gown and stick a beanbag down the front. 2. Leave it there. 3. After...
Mid-Week Links It’s all about unschooling and homeschooling this week. Malaysian homeschooler, 17-year-old Petrina Phua, writes about her homeschooling experience and what it was like to transition to taking the IGCSE exams. She went on to score straight As for all her eight subjects. “I remember that there were days when I would do...
Post written by Leo Babauta There is no such thing as stress-free parenting. A reader requested that I share my thoughts on stress-free parenting, as the father of six kids. And while I have learned a lot about being a dad, and finding joy in parenthood, I also know that stress-free parenting is a...
Mid-Week Links This week, the Canadian Medical Association Journal, Canada’s most prestigious medical journal, called on parents, lawmakers and doctors to put an end to the practice of spanking children. The journal called it “an anachronistic excuse for poor parenting from the statute book”. Using harsh physical punishment to discipline children – including smacking,...
Children’s stories are usually full of some combination of mystery, adventure, magic and lately, vampires. And rightly so, because there are no better ingredients than these to ignite interest in young minds. Here are five books that are missing the vampire element but that have mystery and adventure and magic in spades. The...
Mid-Week Links More than 200 breastfeeding mothers descended on a cafe in Bristol earlier this month in support of one of their own who claimed she was verbally abused by a waitress for suckling her baby in public. When word spread about her ordeal, a Facebook page set up by mothers calling themselves...
And…we’re back! Apologies are in order, folks. It has been a long hiatus since our last post. So much has happened in that time but that is probably best left for another day. We were featured in the Star newspaper today (thanks for the interview, Grace!) so perhaps this is a fitting piece with...
Luqman Michel has thought long and hard about dyslexia—its causes and how to help those children afflicted with it. He runs a blog called Luqman’s Dyslexia Blog, which distills his experiences teaching dyslexic children. Here he talks about how he got started and the teaching methods he uses. When did you start teaching dyslexic...
First the good news: dyslexics tend to be visual thinkers able to formulate mental concepts faster than other people. They are intuitive problem-solvers and excellent trouble-shooters. They are usually intelligent and excel in creative vocations like architecture, music, engineering, dance, acting, cooking, sports, strategising and inventions. Now the bad news: dyslexics have a real...
This is our very first guest post—written by Jasmine Stephenson. Most of us are a little guilty of allowing our kids to indulge in junk food every once in a while. However, diets high in refined sugar and fat are seriously harmful to your child’s health. Liver damage, poor concentration, and obesity are just...
When top student Erica Goldson delivered the valedictory address at the Coxsackie-Athens High School graduation ceremony on June 25, she touched many hearts with her words and her courage. The message she brings is a particularly pertinent one for all parents during these turbulent times when chaos makes great changes possible. It takes brave...
Mid-Week Links While we all know that breastfeeding benefits baby and mother, it also has advantages for the greater community. It reduces infant health care costs because breastfed babies have fewer illnesses and hospitalisations. Employers, too, gain as parents of breastfed babies don’t need to take as much time off work to care for...
Last week, we spoke to Christine Choong, founder of Mamalink and mother to three children, two boys and a girl. All her children are now grown, two are married and her daughter is expecting her first baby. This week, Christine talks about breastfeeding and the lessons she learnt as a mother. How can working...
When Christine Choong delivered her first two babies about 30 years ago, she was confined to hospital beds, each time with drips to induce and accelerate labour. The drips, she recalls, were very painful. With her third baby, she went through most of the labour at home, which enabled her to remain upright, comfortable...
Mid-Week Links ABC News’ Nightline earlier this month profiled an unschooling family from New Hampshire. The Martins (who appear in our blogroll as The Sparkling Martins) threw open their doors and showed the world how they unschool. While watching the video, however, I could not help but feel that the network seemed to have...
Wouldn’t it be nice if all babies came with an operating manual? That way—just as with electronic gadgets—we need not worry about whether or not we are doing the right thing for our babies, especially when faced with dissenting voices. Here are four books that come close to being manuals for bringing up baby...
Mid-Week Links For homeschoolers in Malaysia, a big question is which route to take to get a place in college or university. David Tan speaks with the CEO of Life College in Malaysia and explains the different options available to homeschoolers here. David also looks at the way homeschooling has gained in popularity and...
When it comes to learning life lessons, nothing beats personal experience. Sometimes it is not enough to tell a child not to do something. Elaborate explanations don’t work and there are times when the wealth of our experience does not mean much to them. Sometimes, children just need to experience it for themselves. Here...
